


Let Me Take Care of You

by AbschaumNo1



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Cuddling & Snuggling, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Not that it's mentioned much, Power Imbalance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 12:29:43
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16832638
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AbschaumNo1/pseuds/AbschaumNo1
Summary: Jeremy figures out quickly that Duncs does a lot to take care of his teammates. It takes him a bit longer to figure out that Duncs needs to be taken care of, too.





	Let Me Take Care of You

**Author's Note:**

> My only excuse for this is that I've been thinking about cuddle piles a lot and that I needed something nice in my life. In fact, the Hawks made me stress finish this on a Sunday morning before breakfast.

Jeremy knows there's some sort of open door policy for Duncs’ room when they're on the road. He doesn't question it, he just watches the guys inevitably migrate there at some point. He figures that he doesn't have to step in if they don't overdo anything in there. They're old enough to know what they're doing.

He only finds out what the open door policy is for when he has to go in to talk to Duncs one evening and finds him trying to poke awake Henri, who's cuddled up to him, his nose buried against Duncs’ hip.

“Come on,” Duncs is saying when Jeremy comes in. “You should move to your own bed now. It's almost curfew.”

Henri mutters something and he gets up and shuffles out with a sleepy hello to Jeremy on the way.

“Bout of homesickness,” Duncs explains when the door closes behind Henri, and Jeremy only nods.

He realises it's a thing when every time he goes to talk to Duncs for some reason or other there's inevitably at least one teammate cuddled up to him in some fashion.

On one occasion when their schedules line up he even sees a bunch of Habs players walk in, Andrew Shaw and Seabs bringing up the rear. Seabs catches his eye and throws him a smile and an easy wave before Shaw says something and he turns back to him with a laugh and a fond look on his face. And well, Jeremy knew about Seabs and Shaw, but he hadn't realised that there's friendships like that between the two teams.

Either way life goes on, and somehow because he's friends with Seabs, Jeremy has struck up a friendship with Duncs as well. Yet he's still thrown off when they're on another road trip and he goes to bring Duncs the book back he's borrowed from him for the flight, and Seabs is there, his head in Duncs’ lap as they're watching TV, while Duncs is running his fingers through Seabs’ hair absentmindedly. They both smile at him as he comes in.

“I just wanted to bring you your book,” Jeremy says.

“Oh that. Just put it on the table,” Duncs says.

Seabs kinda looks between them before he says, “Hey Jeremy, want to help us finish this movie?”

Jeremy looks at them, surprised for a second, but Duncs just shrugs when he throws him a look and he decides why not. “What are you watching?”

“Duncs is making us watch Zodiac again,” Seabs replies easily. “He loves that movie.”

Jeremy laughs, because of course Duncs would. He sits down on the side of the bed that Seabs hasn't claimed as his own and for a moment it's kind of awkward. But then Duncs pulls him in until Jeremy’s leaning against his side, Duncs’ arm solid around his shoulders. He guesses he won't have a say in the matter so he settles in to watch.

It's not the last time. Somehow it becomes a thing with the three of them. If it's only Seabs there when Jeremy comes round, he'll end up leaning into Duncs’ side and watching whatever movie's on that evening.

The thing is, Jeremy probably likes it more than he should. Sure, it's great to hang with his friends, even if he's also the coach of said friends, but he soon realises that it's less about having a movie night with friends, and more about getting to spend time with Duncs. He decides not to dwell on it, because that's probably better for his sanity, but it's definitely on his mind when he'll inevitably end up cuddling with Duncs (and Seabs) again.

Then comes the day when Duncs is alone in his room. He must see Jeremy's surprise, because he shrugs and says, “Everyone else went out.”

He has a book in his lap, but the TV's on with some movie playing, and for a moment Jeremy doesn't know what to do. They've done this often enough that usually he would just sit down, ask what they are watching and secretly savour being so close to Duncs, but they've never been alone.

“Wanna watch with me?” Duncs says, as if he senses Jeremy's indecision.

And Jeremy really doesn't have an excuse for why he can't so he says, “Yeah sure.”

Duncs actually puts his book away and with Seabs not there, he leans into Jeremy.

They watch in silence for a moment, before Duncs says, “Hey, you wanna come over for dinner Friday?”

They're back in Chicago on Friday, and they're not playing again until Sunday. Jeremy’s not sure what to make of it.

Apparently he waits too long to reply, because Duncs adds, “You don't have to. I just thought it would be nice.”

"Oh no, no. I want to,” Jeremy says quickly. “Just text me the details.”

He doesn't think he imagines the way Duncs seems to relax a little, before he says, “Will do.”

Jeremy has dinner with Duncs once. And then again. And all of a sudden he's fairly sure they're dancing around something.

But the team's not winning and Jeremy is kind of pissed off and also stressed and he doesn't have time to figure out what to do about this.

It's the middle of the night on another road trip and Jeremy can't sleep so he's headed down the hallway to grab something from one of the vending machines he saw tucked away in an alcove, when Duncs’ door opens and Duncs looks at him a little sleepily.

"Oh it's you,” Duncs says, before he seems to wake up enough to take in the disheveled state of Jeremy’s hair and the way his glasses have slipped down his nose a little.

Jeremy doesn't get to reply, because Duncs steps out of his room, grabs his hand and pulls him inside.

“Come on,” he says as he pushes Jeremy towards the bed. “You need to sleep.”

Jeremy goes and he's too tired to say anything all of a sudden, even when Duncs smiles fondly and takes off his glasses for him to put them on the nightstand. Duncs arranges their limbs until he's satisfied and wraps himself tightly around Jeremy. Even if he wasn't so tired, he wouldn't have a choice but to sleep like this, because Duncs is stubborn and heavy and Jeremy doesn't think he could extract himself from his embrace even if he wanted to.

It's the best sleep he's had in a while.

The season drags on and Jeremy and Duncs are still playing their game of chicken. Jeremy sees that something in Duncs is starting to wear thin, and he knows that Seabs knows it, too, but judging by the frown on his face whenever he looks at Duncs he can't get through to him.

Which is why Jeremy decides to intervene himself. As Duncs’ friend, not his coach. He gives him a maintenance day, and because he knows it won't be enough he goes round to his place as soon as he wraps up at the rink.

Duncs looks like shit when he opens the door, tired and weary.

“Huh, did I forget you wanted to come?” Duncs asks confused.

“You didn't,” Jeremy says, pushing past him. “I came because I wanted to see how you're doing.” He takes off his shoes and hangs up his coat and raises the bag he's holding. “And I brought lunch.”

If it hadn't already been obvious that Duncs isn't feeling well, Jeremy would have known when Duncs just shuffles along behind him to the living room.

“Sit,” he says, and Duncs does so without complaint. “I'll be right back.”

He's glad he stopped by his own place to grab a pair of sweats on the way here, and he quickly changes and grabs some kitchen roll just in case there's not enough napkins.

Duncs has taken the containers out of the bag by the time Jeremy gets back, which is a start. He looks surprised when he realises that Jeremy has changed clothes.

"Food first, then we talk,” Jeremy says decisively, and Duncs nods.

He looks a bit better when they're done, even though the exhaustion is still there. But Jeremy’s glad about every bit of progress. They leave the take away containers on the table, and Jeremy lies back on the sectional, pulling Duncs with him, until he's lying on top of him, nuzzling into Jeremy's neck with a sigh.

Duncs still hasn't said much, but that's fine with Jeremy, because right now he needs him to listen.

"You need to take better care of yourself,” he says. “I know you feel responsible for the guys, and I know you want to take care of them, but you need to think of yourself, too.”

“‘M trying to. But I can't,” Duncs replies.

Jeremy sighs. “Then make sure you ask for help before we get to where we are right now. Doesn't have to be me, you can always ask Seabs, we both know he's happy to help. Same goes for Jonny and Kaner.”

“They've all got their own shit to deal with.”

“You really think so? They've been worried about you. Hell, I'm fairly sure Shawzy's this close to coming down from Montreal because you're worrying Seabs so much. And I get a feeling that he wouldn't be alone on that flight.”

Duncs chuckles at that. “Mutt's always been protective.”

Jeremy bends his head a little so he can bury his nose in Duncs’ hair. “We all just want you to be okay. _I_ want you to be okay. Not as your coach, but because I care about you.” It's too raw, there’s too much emotion in it, but he can't help that now.

Duncs twists a little in his arms, until he can raise himself up and look at Jeremy.

“You care about me?” he asks, and it's obvious that he caught on to the real meaning of what Jeremy said.

His look is steady, holding Duncs’ eyes, as he says, “Yes, I care about you” because there's no use in denying it now.

Duncs swallows, and Jeremy’s eyes follow the movement of his throat. He wets his lips and when he looks back up at Duncs’ face he's focussed on Jeremy's lips. It's a bad idea maybe, but all Jeremy cares about right now is that Duncs isn't fine and that he's right there in his arms looking like he can't quite believe what Jeremy's telling him, even if he wants to believe it. And really that's all the incentive Jeremy needs to take Duncs’ face into his hands and kiss him.

He's slow and deliberate; Duncs’ lips are a little chapped, and it takes him a moment but then he kisses back and Jeremy can feel his heartbeat pick up. Duncs increases the pressure a little, but neither of them deepens the kiss. This is enough for now.

When their lips part Duncs leans their foreheads together and sighs, a small smile on his face.

"Didn't think I'd get this,” he says softly.

“You better believe you have it though.”

Duncs laughs. “I do.”

They're silent for a moment until Jeremy says, “Let me help you take care of yourself.”

“I'll try,” Duncs says.

He looks into Jeremy's eyes for a moment, as if he's searching for something, but then he just leans down and kisses him again.

Jeremy will take it for now.


End file.
